Results of Feeding Methoxychlor Sprayed Forage and Crystalline Methoxychlor to Dairy Cows

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Abstract
Four plots of alfalfa forage were sprayed with 0.48, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.94 lbs. per acre of methoxychlor and later harvested for hay. When these 4 lots of hay were fed to milking dairy cows no methoxychlor could be detected in the milk. Crystalline methoxychlor administered orally as a soybean oil soln. in dosages which were equivalent to more than 500 ppm. of the feed consumed resulted in detectable amts. of methoxychlor in the milk. One cow had 1.16 ppm. of methoxychlor in the 4% fat corrected milk while receiving crystalline methoxychlor equivalent to over 2000 ppm. of the feed consumed. Small percentages (up to 0.48%) of the total dosage of crystalline methoxychlor fed were excreted in the milk. Approx. 100 times as much methoxychlor as DDT must be administered orally for these insecticides to be detectable in the milk of dairy cows. It appears highly improbable that methoxychlor would be excreted in the milk of cows fed forages sprayed with recommended amts. of methoxychlor.